WBC youth strawweight champion Wanheng Meenayothin of Thailand will defend his title from Filipino challenger Roel Lagonero in the northeastern Thai city of Nakorn Ratchasima on June 26, while aiming at a world title, says his promoter.

The match of Wanheng and Lagonero is part of an event in Nakorn Ratchasima that also hosts a number of “muaythai marathon” bouts featuring eight bantamweight fighters from the Lumpini stadium such as Palangtthip Kor Sapaothong, Prab Kaiyang Hadao Gym, and Lekkla Thanasuranakorn, all of whom have won Lumpini titles in the past, said promoter Piyarat Wachiraratanawong.

Wanheng is currently at the ninth place in the WBC strawweight world ranking. His promoter is looking to move him up to the world title in “the near future”, although the belt is currently held by Wanheng’s fellow gym mate Oleydong Sithsamerchai.

Former world champion Sirimongkol Singwangcha has knocked out Kenyan opponent Muhammed, while female pugilist Kanittha Tungsongtaksin beat Namfon Sor Taleongsak to earn a title in an event in Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand, last Friday.

Thailand’s Sirimongkol, who held the WBC bantamweight title in 1997 and the WBC super featherweight in 2002-2003, was seen as the boxer with superior skills and experience in the match against Muhammed in Kamphaeng Phet on Friday June 5. The Thai was able to score hits on the body in the first round, and a right hook to the chin in the second that resulted in a quick knockout.

Thailand’s Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo has defended his WBC Asian featherweight champion title from Filipino challenger Jonel Alivio by a knockout last Friday.

Chonlatarn was a ruthless aggressor throughout the match held at a makeshift stadium in Sawangdaendin, Sakon Nakhon, Thailand, on June 5, that was presided over by the provincial governor. The Thai champion eventually put Alivio down for a count of 10 by a combo in the eleventh round, successfully defending his WBC Asian featherweight title by a knockout.

Former world champion Somsak Sithchatchawal of Thailand will fight Indonesia’s Eddy Comaro in a PABA title match next week.

Somsak, who held the WBA super bantamweight champion in 1996, will fight Comaro, currently the second-place contender in the WBA rank, for the PABA super featherweight interim title in an event in the northeastern Thai town of Mukdahan in the evening of Friday June 12.

Usanakorn Kokietgym is leaving Thailand tonight for the match against WBC female super flyweight title holder Ana Maria Torres in Mexico City on June 14, while her trainer is confident the Thai boxer will beat the Mexican champion within five rounds.

Usanakorn, who earlier earned her WBC female “interim” title from defeating Japan’s Rie Fujimoto in March, will leave Bangkok at 11.55 p.m. tonight by a Lufthansa flight that will have a transit overlay in Germany for eight hours before departing to Mexico.

The Thai boxer ended her training session yesterday with a sparring bout with her male gym mate Ratchamongkol Kokietgym, completing her two-month program that included 120 sparring bouts and a weight loss of eight kilograms. The 22-year-old Usanakorn who rose to fame from successes in amateur boxing said it was the most serious training program she has ever undertaken, but she is confident of fighting in Torres’ home country and winning the title.

PABA super lightweight champion Manfa Luksaikongdin of Thailand will fight Indonesian challenger Jonathan Simamora, while PABA minimumweight champion Kwanjai 3K Battery will defend his title from Indonesia’s Yanus Emaury in an event held in Bangkok on June 19.

According to a press conference yesterday, Manfa will defend his title for the first time against Simamora at the Southern Association of Thailand in Bangkok on Friday June 19 as part of the event that will be broadcasted in Thailand by the Channel Seven network from 3.00 p.m. onward.

Promoter Kokiet Panichayarom says he will punish Ratanachai Sor Vorapin for kicking an opponent in a boxing bout in the Philippines last week by suspending the Thai boxer from fighting for six months.

According to the earlier report, Ratanachai shocked the Filipino boxing audience in the eleventh round at a WBO international match in Cebu, the Philippines, on May 28, when he high-kicked opponent Ramie Laput, an action that caused him to lose the match by a foul.

His promoter Kokiet recently said Ratanachai's action is considered serious and warrants a six-month suspension from boxing, although he explained that the upset Thai boxer thought Laput intentionally clashed heads with him and attempted to attack him with a knee strike.

Thailand’s boxing sport was quite eventful during the last week with the visit of Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, and the title defense bouts of WBA flyweight champion Denkaosan Kaovichit and WBC strawweight champion Oleydong Sithsamerchai, but perhaps the real highlights of the week were the matches between Kokiet Group’s three boxers against Filipino opponents, one of which ended with a technical knockout due to a muaythai-styled high kick.

Promoter Kokiet Panichayarom’s boxers, Petch Kokietgym, Wandee Singwancha, and Ratanachai Sor Vorapin have all lost their matches in Cebu, the Philippines, on May 28, but each with quite a different ending.

WBC super flyweight youth champion Petch was seen by some as the better fighter in his match against Jason Egera, but the Filipino emerged as the winner by split decision.

In the second bout, former WBC world champion Wandee was knocked out by Filipino rising star Marvin Sonsona’s left uppercut in the second round. He was down for five minutes.

In the last bout, Ratanachai shocked the audience when he high-kicked Ramie Laput in the eleventh round, ending the match with quite an unusual foul.

WBC strawweight champion Oleydong Sithsamerchai of Thailand has defeated Indonesian challenger Muhammad Rachman over a technical decision last Friday, while his promoter says the Thai champion will likely have his next title defense bout in Japan.

The WBC title match held at Bang La stadium in the southern Thai province Phuket on May 29 turned into a catch-me-if-you-can game as the 37-year-old Rachman spent much time chasing the taller and much younger Oleydong, now 23.

Throughout the match, the Thai champion was mostly looking to counter hit the aggressive Indonesian. The two clashed heads, causing an injury to Rachman above his eyes, while Oleydong was penalized twice for his acts. In round 11, the referee decided to end the game for Rachman’s injury, resulting in Oleydong, who had higher scores, winning the match and successfully defending his WBC strawweight title.

His promoter Wirat Wachiraratanawong said the next title defense of Oleydong would likely be held in Japan, although he said he is still negotiating on the details of the match.